This is my personal blog which I began in February 2001. I called it The Obvious? when I wrote anonymously and chose the name to reflect the fact I have to overcome my inhibitions about stating the obvious!

I mentioned in the previous post that I had spoken to a group of exec MBA students at CASS Business School earlier this week. I posted the questions I was asked and one or two people wanted me to post my answers. I'm not sure that would be such a good idea as I was pretty forthright about some of the characters from my past in the BBC - and it would just embarrass Richard Sambrook the number of mentions he got as a shining example.

Instead here is a list of what the students thought I was which thankfully doesn't include humility!

1. Authoritative

2. Free-thinking

3. A bit of an anarchist

4. A “Level 5” leader (Collins) in the sense that you cared deeply about supporting the community around you (although this would mean the people in the organization around you rather than the organization itself)

5. Not a manager in the conventional sense, but definitely a leader

6. Similar to Mr.Tuttle – the man who fights bureaucracy - in Terry Gillam’s Brazil (played by Robert De Niro, interestingly enough)

7. Best at what Grint would call the philosophical art of leadership – giving your followers/team a sense of who they really are.